Gary Mark Email & Phone Number

In my role as VP, Finance and Accounting at Happiest Baby, Inc., I have been instrumental in building and leading a high-caliber finance and accounting team. My responsibilities have encompassed overhauling the accounting systems, driving critical funding rounds, and reshaping the financial structure to support global operations. My focus has been on enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and strategic financial planning to foster robust growth and stability within the company.Key contributions:• Successfully built a new finance and accounting team, known for their exceptional competency. • Transformed an inadequate QuickBooks system into a robust, error-free setup, which passed its first audit with no errors and an unqualified opinion from KPMG within a year. • Played a pivotal role alongside the CEO in leading and closing a significant Series C funding round, as well as managing a convertible debt funding round. • Redesigned the forecasting, planning, and reporting model to adapt to a global company with two lines of business across sixteen countries. • Trained the accounting and finance team in the latest data analysis and visualization tools, leveraging off-the-shelf technology to enhance reporting, forecasting, and decision support processes. • Developed a quality of earnings analysis that significantly contributed to optimizing the product assortment. • Successfully led debt financings with two banks and one asset financing company. • Collaborated with the CEO to develop project vetting processes, aiming to drive higher ROIs on new products and projects.

Los Angeles, California, Us

Designed and implemented internal controls for inventory to remedy material weaknesses identified by external auditors. Rewrote process narratives. Managed day to day processes as well as financial accounting and reporting. Finance lead on MRP implementation. Supervised staff.

Santa Monica, California, Us

Reporting to the SVP Finance, I oversaw all areas of a rapidly growing $270M public company’s reporting and Corporate Controllership. Areas of responsibility include SEC reporting, consolidations, technical accounting activities, internal controls, operational accounting, and financial systems. In this capacity, I drove the development and deployment of rigorous and standardized processes (systems, internal controls, reporting) to optimize the company’s financial operations and enhance the quality of financial information used by key stakeholders for strategic decision making. Key contributions:♦ In A/P: Drafted and implemented new T&E audit process, improved T&E reimbursements via daily settlements, implemented enterprise-wide management reporting.♦ In Revenue Accounting and Operations: Implemented Bad Debt Reserve, led New A/R Analysis model which delivered timely and actionable information to our dealer sales and services organizations, led effort that provided more meaningful and better-optimized revenue and expense analytics.♦ In Payroll: Leveraged turnover to bring in more highly qualified staff better suited to the demands of Workday and TrueCar, improved reporting, developed analytical tools for relocation analyses, supported analyses with respect to self-funding on health benefits, developed better controls for insurance provider invoice approvals, improved relationship and day to day interactions with HR, identified weaknesses and proposed solutions with respect to external settlement and tax filing provider, led successful 401K audit, and, improved dealer bonus payouts timing to make it easier for the enterprise to manage this process.♦ In Controllership: Repaired and salvaged fixed asset reconciliation away from a potential deficiency assessment by revamping documentation, analysis, and, process; created better project management for YE audit including daily and weekly check-ins with our auditors.

Mountain View, California, Us

Provided technical expertise in revenue recognition taking into consideration current and future GAAP (ASC 605, 606) as needed. Provided guidance and leadership on product revenue accounting for new product offerings. Provide hands-on management with strong Excel, SQL and Database literacy and proficiency. Analyzed large amounts of data using SQL and complex Excel functions. Influence change through an optimal combination of strategies and tactics.Key Contributions:• Automated manual revenue recognition process through process optimizations and SaaS implementation. As a result, close cycle cut by 67% from 15 days to 5 days and resources required to support this area reduced by 50% from 8 FTEs to 4 FTEs.• Collaborated cross-functionally with Business Development, Technology, Fulfillment, FP&A, Legal, C-Team for providing recommendations based on LegalZoom’s marketing strategies and GAAP requirements for Revenue Recognition under ASCs 605, 606 and others.• Documented multi-element revenue arrangements and related revenue accounting treatment under current and future revenue recognition rules. o Published accounting whitepapers to document the accounting positions, as necessary.o Worked actively with external auditors to ensure that revenue recognition interpretations are consistent and compliant with GAAP. For particularly complex revenue recognition deals, ensure that the external audit team agrees with the company's conclusion through the "profiling" process.• Managed evaluation of data for VSOE on products and services. Changed processes and automated the maintenance of VSOEs. • Supported external SEC reporting and SOX processes as required.• Provided revenue recognition guidance and training to subordinate(s).• Responsible for month end revenue closing and requisite balance sheet and g/l account analyses.

Burbank, Ca, Us

Provided comprehensive accounting management for organization with $2B in annual revenue. Identified and implemented systems that facilitated financial operations and allowed the business to keep up with the pace of technology. Prepared monthly and annual budgets and reforecasts. Oversaw report preparation. Facilitated audits. Ensured compliance with industry and company policies and standards, including GAAP. Led multitiered, eight-person team.Key Contributions:♦ Designed, developed and rolled out new accounting processes, systems and databases, including Hyperion Financial Planning (HFP), and initiating implementation of HFP's aggregate storage option (ASO) to further enhance and expedite performance.♦ Introduced new financial reporting systems and procedures to streamline accounting activities, track performance and support strategic business and fiscal planning decisions.♦ Developed full-scale forecasting model for the company (consisting of full-year monthly forecasts that boosted productivity and efficiency).

Promoted to drive innovation and excellence in accounting and financial operations for Disney Online Studios, part of the Interactive Media Group (one of five segments within the $36B Walt Disney Company conglomerate). Implemented and managed accounting, tax management and financial controls for $250M organization. Supervised accounting and financial reporting for new products, markets and distribution programs. Managed SOX compliance. Mentored and supervised 14 staff in the US and Canada.Key Contributions:♦ Collaborated with Corporate Accounting and Business Unit to determine and implement policy for Revenue Recognition (ASC 605) .♦ Played integral role in restructuring the global, decentralized organization into a cohesive, well-run enterprise by providing leadership and direction for accounting, finance and system optimization.♦ Created and presented concise financial/business reports, metrics and recommendations that assisted leadership in strategic planning and decision making.♦ Served on the due diligence team, conducting post-acquisition audit and facilitated the integration of finance and accounting processes, systems and controls. Successfully launched and established the financial organization from the ground up for new entity

Burbank, Ca, Us

Directed the complete range of accounting operations for Disney Online while concurrently managing the corporate consolidation of dozens of global business lines within Walt Disney Company's Interactive Media Group. Coordinated tax management and oversaw preparation and filing of federal, state and local tax returns. Performed in-depth account reconciliation, journal entry adjustments and transaction coding. Researched and enforced compliance issues. Supervised and motivated 14 staff.Key Contributions:♦ Collaborated with Corporate Accounting and Business Units to determine and implement policy for Revenue Recognition (ASC 605) for multi-element agreements.♦ Effectively migrated the department to paperless, fully SOX-compliant documentation system, and implemented new journal entry policy to increase the accuracy and accountability of documentation and internal controls.♦ Collaborated with peers in creating new financial reporting hierarchies to support profit center-based reporting structure.♦ Improve the quality and efficiency of reporting through new system and tool development (including a new Access-based reporting system that reduced resources consumed by report generation by 80%).♦ Implemented technical systems and tools that enhanced information-sharing and collaboration with key stakeholders and reduced transaction defect rates. Further decreased transaction defects by creating new reporting process for unmatched expense accruals and invoices.♦ Lead the complex process of consolidating global corporations in 40+ countries with diverse foreign currencies.

Phoenix, Arizona, Us

Defined and executed financial controls and built the accounting, finance and administrative departments from the ground up as key member of the organization's start-up team. Hired the original workforce and created systems, processes, reporting tools and best practices. Oversaw financial statement preparation, budget development and cash-flow projections. Advised executives on mergers and acquisitions.Key Contributions:♦ Guided the company through four rounds of private equity funding and participated in the acquisition and financial statement consolidation of two competitors.♦ Managed filing of S-1 to raise $100M in cash through initial public offering (IPO), and performed post- IPO SEC reporting and compliance activities.♦ Established financial systems and operations for opening of second distribution center, and executed the opening of third center through third-party agreement.♦ Relocated and expanded corporate offices three times in two years.♦ Provided financial expertise through all phases of the business life cycle, including inception, rapid growth (increased revenue from zero to $50M), liquidation and integration with corporate operations.

Us

Managed start-up accounting and financial management operations within large corporation for Warner Bros. Studio Stores International, an organization built on a licensing model with three distinct revenue streams (license fee, wholesale sales and retail royalties). Directed financial statement preparation, budget development, cash flow forecasting and month-end closing procedures. Submitted financial data for corporate finance managers.Key Contributions:♦ Implemented Solomon IV (Microsoft Dynamics) and Frx Reporting ♦ Collaborated with Corporate Accounting and Business Units to determine and implement policy forRevenue Recognition (ASC 605) for multi-element agreements.♦ Implemented proprietary systems, procedures and best practices that enabled the start-up business to achieve $500M in peak global revenue. Subsequently facilitated winding down of all stores followingthe financial crisis of '98.♦ Hired, developed and managed operations of the accounting, finance and logistics departments fornewly established organization within Warner Bros.

Bachelor Of Science, Accounting

Diploma, Business Administration And Management, General